Everything You Need to Know about Concentrates

If you’re new to the world of concentrates, don’t let all of the big and fancy words and jargon scare you away. Sure they come in a number of different forms that can be used with a number of different devices and processes, but once you learn and understand a bit more about the different concentrate types, you’ll be a lot less confused. So read on for an overview of all you need to know about concentrates!

For starters, what does the term ‘concentrates’ even mean? It’s simple. A concentrate refers to products made from the trichomes from plants. They’re often smoked, and there are different ways they can be extracted. These different methods of extraction result in a different type of concentrate — all varying in levels of potency. Some concentrates are waxy, some are oily, and some look like yellow or amber glass. For a break down of the different types of concentrates, continue reading:

Types of Concentrates

Shatter. This results from one of the more complex methods of extraction, and is the result of processing the trichomes from plants with butane. It’s also commonly done with a vacuum mechanism, is typically yellow or orange, and has a soft, pliable consistency.

Wax. This type of concentrate can be accomplished from butane extraction. I know, sounds scary. It’s actually quite simple. Butane extraction commonly results from failed attempts at extracting budder or shatter concentrate. This wax concentrate is more gooey than some other forms of concentrate.

Oil. This is another type of concentrate that can be achieved with butane extraction. It’s more liquid-like and fluid than wax concentrate, and is often vaporized or even dabbed.

Budder. Yes, it sounds like butter, and even looks like it too. It can be produced with butane extraction, and starts out as a wax. However, once it’s whipped, the consistency gets more solid and crumbly and has a yellowish hue.

Bubble. This is an interesting type of concentrate because it’s the result of an ice water extraction process that involves washing the trichomes off of the plant instead of using chemicals to extract it. The result is a safer, cleaner product, and has a texture resembling packed sand.

Scissor. Some people refer to this type of concentrate as finer concentrate. It derives from the trim of the plants and the trichomes are collected from things like the gloves of the people working with the plants. The people working with the plants can wipe the trichomes from their gloves, leaving a little pile of gum-like residue that it turned into the concentrate, scissor.

Dust. This type of concentrate is a very potent powder. It’s made using dry ice, and melts quickly.

Methods of Extraction

So we’ve covered the different types of concentrates. What about the different methods? Read on to learn about the more common methods used to extract concentrates.

Butane. Butane is used in an assortment of different concentrates, like shatter, honey oil, earwax, goo, and more. Though the process is a bit complicated in that it involves dousing the plant matter in butane, the result is a clear, sometimes amber, product, similar in consistency to earwax. It’s popular because it produces a clean and very potent product.

Water and Ice. Water and ice are important tools when extracting concentrates, and are used to collect ice wax, full melt, and bubble concentrates. They’re popular because they produce virtually no ash when vaporized and melts down completely without leaving a trace. However, the production process is complicated and time consuming, so the concentrates aren’t all that common.

Acetone/alcohol. This method makes concentrates like honey oil and black gold through a process using alcohol or acetone to soak the plant material. Though the initial product can be a but hard at first, when it’s heated up it turns into an oil. However, because small traces of alcohol or acetone might still be in the final product, care should be taken when used.

Dry Ice. This method is often used to create clean, potent products, like Gold Dust. It’s made by tossing the plant material and dry ice into a container and then shaking it. This process causes the trichomes to separate from the plant, resulting in a clean product that resembles powdered gold.

CO2. Shatter concentrate is produced with CO2. The CO2 extraction process is much like butane extraction, though it produces a higher quality, cleaner product than products made using butane extraction, and it has a better flavor.

Based in California, Ben writes about marijuana culture, cultivation and edibles. He's a regular contributor at marijuanamarketplace.com, themarijuanachef.com, marijuanagrowhelp.com, and stonerthings.com